This application requests support for continuation of the Population Research Infrastructure Award to the Maryland Population Research Center (MPRC) at the University of Maryland (UMD). The Maryland Population Research Center is an interdisciplinary population research center at the University of Maryland-College Park that supports the research of 73 population researchers across 6 different schools or colleges and 17 departments. Over the next five-year period, MPRC will maintain its signature research themes of Gender, Family, and Social Change and Social and Economic Inequality, will expand its research in the area of Health in Social Context, and will invest in further development of a new theme, People and Place. MPRC associates will continue to contribute new data and methods for population research within these substantive themes. This application requests support for four cores that are central to increasing the pace and impact of population science research: Administrative, Computing, Information, and Development. The cores'missions are to meet the needs of population scientists and to foster an interdisciplinary environment. The administrative core will support the preparation of grant applications, post-award project management, and assist other cores. The Computing Core will manage the computing resources that are so essential to population research. It will expand the level of high-end computing and the capacity of the confidential data enclave to provide access to data sets that are restricted by their agency sources or that have potentially identifiable information on human subjects. MPRC's Information Core will expand the deployment of web-based tools to enhance Center activities, develop new access to geographic information systems and expertise, and provide scholars effective means of managing research collaborations and disseminating research. The Development Core will seed new activities aimed at groups of collaborators studying Immigration, Health, Neighborhoods, Population and Environment, and Gender and Family. Taking advantage of our location in the Washington, DC area, it will promote the research of our associates through linking to the research and data activities of federal agencies in the Washington, D.C.

Public Health Relevance

Continued provision of research infrastructure support to the Maryland Population Research Center will enhance greatly its researchers'ability to develop and disseminate new understanding of the precursor events and contexts of health-related behaviors and outcomes among individuals and families in the U.S. and globally.